Information for communities

Touring exhibition by Joy Slappnig and Claudia Michel

Based on the fundamental idea that dying, death and mourning are part of public life and therefore everyone’s responsibility, the exhibition ‘Zuhause sterben’ (Dying at home) shows what community care really means for people at the end of life and their family members.

This installation, realised in the form of a touring exhibition, is divided into three rooms: a bedroom, a living room and a cafe. These rooms bridge the gap between the personal, intimate experience of death and the social and public discussion around the subject. The exhibition is aimed at people involved in care, either as a family member or a volunteer, and at communities that are making a commitment to support those affected. These communities can also request to borrow the exhibition. 

The exhibition was developed as part of the ‘Compassionate City Lab of the Bernese People’ project, an innovative project funded by Health Promotion Switzerland, as well as other foundations and agencies. 
 

Documentary by Claudia Michel and Oliver Slappnig (2022, 32 mins, dialect, German/French subtitles)

The film ‘Bis zuletzt’ (Until the end) focuses on the fact that though most people wish to die at home at the end of their lives, very few are able to do so. Family members often find themselves stuck grappling with this situation, because they often play a decisive role in whether or not this wish is honoured. The film spotlights three carers, highlighting their triumphs, but also their struggles, and focuses on the support networks available to them.

The film highlights the forms of community support that promote the well-being of friends and family members. It also shows how communities could improve their expertise on end-of-life care to ensure that more people are able to fulfil their wish of dying at home and to relieve the burden on family members, so that they do not become ill. 

The film is primarily aimed at the older populations of communities and at authorities who wish to integrate end-of-life into local old-age policy. However, it will generally appeal to anybody interested in family caregiving and end-of-life care.

Do you represent a community looking to offer courses on advance health planning? If so, please contact the University Centre for Palliative Care at the Inselspital Bern to find out the conditions required to hold a course.

University Centre for Palliative Care
palliativzentrum@insel.ch
+41 31 632 63 20